Elena is a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) and a Certified Dementia Practitioner. She is a member of the Cleveland Metropolitan, Medina County, Lorain County, and Ohio State Bar Associations, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), the Special Needs Alliance, and the National Alliance of Medicare Set-Aside Professionals (NAMSAP).

Elena received her M.Ed. in Rehabilitation Counseling from Kent State University. She spent 12 years working in community mental health service agencies providing residential, employment and partial hospitalization services. Eventually Elena returned to school to earn her J.D. from the University of Akron School of Law. Upon graduation, she joined Hickman & Lowder as an associate and, in 2005, she became a shareholder.